


Agony, Sweet Agony

by DraconisWinters



Series: Within the Shadows [13]
Category: LinkedUniverse - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Gen, LinkedUniverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-20 15:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18527761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraconisWinters/pseuds/DraconisWinters
Summary: “It’s been a while, hasn’t it shadow?”Eternal.Shadow’s jaw trembles and his hands shake, but he can’t bring himself to turn around.“Scared?” Eternal laughed, “You should be.”





	Agony, Sweet Agony

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it shadow?”  
Eternal.  
Shadow’s jaw trembles and his hands shake, but he can’t bring himself to turn around.   
“Scared?” Eternal laughed, “You should be.”  
He was trapped. There was nowhere to run. Eternal’s cold hand grasped his shoulder, before flinging him away from the window and onto the ground. Before Shadow could let out a screech of pain, Eternal’s foot was on his throat, pressing him into the floor. Shadow tried to squirm, but the sole of Eternal’s boots dug into the teeth wounds on his throat. He tried to claw Eternal’s foot off him, but he can’t. He’s too weak.  
Eternal laughs, removing his foot, before immediately kicking Shadow in the stomach. A scream echoes through the room, trying to catch his breath, Shadow looks at the door. One of the others would have heard that. They’d be on their way. They’d come help him…right?  
Eternal laughs, “Oh, were you expecting someone? Pity, you aren’t worth their time.”  
No. No. They were coming to help him. They-they had to! Shadow listened trying to hear footsteps running down the hall. There was nothing, only silence.  
“Hm, maybe if you all for help-oh wait! You can’t,” Eternal smirked kneeling down lifting Shadow’s chin up, forcing him to stare directly into Eternal’s crimson eyes. “There would be no one to stop me now.” Eternal traces over Shadow’s eyes with his finger. “Two simple swipes is all if would take. Funny isn’t it, how breakable the body is?”  
The growl of a wolf interrupted Eternal and Shadow’s eyes shot over to the wall. Red glowing eyes were staring at him. The wolf peeled out of the shadows teeth barred in a glorified snarl, stalking its prey with vicious intent. Shadow tried to move, tried to get up and run, but he couldn’t. He was paralyzed. Savage took small taunting steps towards him and Shadow began to hyperventilate.   
Run! Move! Do something! Anything! Shadow pleaded with himself to no avail. “Look at that mutt,” Eternal laughed, “The traitor’s scared of you.”  
Yes, he was scared. Very scared. What would Savage do this time? Maybe rip of an ear, bite into his wrist? Where were the others? Why aren’t they helping?  
“Oh poor Shadow,” Eternal cooed with feigned sympathy, “Left behind once again. A tragedy truly. But perhaps this time, you will understand the message.” Eternal’s hand moved to grab the side of his face, nails digging into his skin. “No one wants you. The people you taught were you allies have abandoned you, your own master watched and did nothing as you killed yourself, and there is certainly no place for you among my ranks…well, perhaps as the toy Tempest once suggested, that seems fitting for a meek shadow like yourself. Not a real dark, not a real hero, just a shadow.”  
The floor disappeared from beneath them as they seeped into the shadows and he was falling.  
Falling.  
Falling.  
He slammed into the ground with a small whimper of pain. His head pounded and his body ached immensely. How was nothing broken?  
“Welcome back Shadow.”  
Shadow turned as saw Callous standing there twirling a light arrow in between his fingers.   
“Amazing,” Callous commented, “How such an insignificant tool, can cause so much damage. Wouldn’t you agree Shadow? Similarly to how much damage can be caused by the simple act of trust. You trust Vio and he tried to kill you. You trusted Vaati and he watched you die. You trusted the Lights yet here you are. You trusted me and…well-,” Callous kneeled down and brushed the uncovered wounds on his neck, “-we all saw how that ended.”   
Callous patted his cheek mockingly, “Now, do I need to call Savage to drag you back to camp or are you going to walk?”   
Shadow shakily got to his feet and Callous grabbed his wrist pulling him towards camp. Shadow’s heart pounded. He should have shattered his mirror when he had the chance. He should have ended this all. He should have never left the shadow realm. He should have-  
Callous yanked Shadow forward and let go of him, causing Shadow to face plant into the dirt.   
“Right where you belong,” Tempest laughed, walking up to him, “at our feet.”  
“And I thought Savage was the dog,” Conqueror mocked.  
Shadow looked down ashamed as tears began to well up in his eyes.  
“Well, now that everyone is here,” Eternal laughed, appearing in the camp, “I believe it is time we took care of those blue eyes.”  
Shadow shook his head and tried to move away but he was hauled off the ground by Conqueror and Stygian who held him in place. Eternal approached, gripping his knife with a cruel smirk.  
He had one last chance, one last resort.  
Shadow, in his final moments of sight, looked over to Acidic. Begging, pleading, for anything. Help me! Help me!  
Acidic, with no regret in his posture or his eyes looked away.  
Shadow then went numb, his body went limb and he quit fighting. He was alone. He-he was alone. This was the end. He closed his eyes.  
The knife was lowered and just before the blade scraped his skin, Shadow opened his eyes.  
He was in the room back at Ranch. Shadow reached up and felt his face, it was unmarred. He took deep heavy breathes and shivered once more from the cold air coming in through the window, but he didn’t dare consider closing it. Instead he got up and hesitantly walked over to the door and opened it. The hallway was dark, but down the way there was a small light. Shadow took light cautious steps down the hallway. He wanted to be by a light. He wanted to be out of that room. He wanted to feel safe.  
As Shadow got closer he could hear soft humming. Someone else was there, he didn’t want to bother them, but he wanted to be by the light. Shadow froze in debate.   
“Sugar, it’s okay, you can come out here. You won’t be bothering me.”  
It was Malon.   
Malon was the one out there.  
For some reason, Shadow wanted to be by her. He wanted to feel safe and for some reason, she was safe.  
Shadow took hesitant steps into the living room, but kept his eyes glued to the floor. Maybe she was expecting someone else, maybe she would change her mind once she saw it was him. Instead once she saw who it was Malon smiled in delight and greeted, “Hi Shadow, rough night for you too?”   
Shadow looked up at the woman in shock. She had bad dreams too?  
Malon sighed, “It happens to everyone sweetheart. Don’t feel bad. Come on over, you can sit next to me if you want.”  
Shadow didn’t know what compelled him to move forward, but he slowly made his way over to the sofa where she was sitting and sat as far on the other side as possible. Shadow looked down as he played with his own fingers awkwardly. Malon wasn’t humming anymore, probably ‘cause he came in and ruined her concentration. Malon was slowly knitting something, Shadow couldn’t tell what it was, just that it was purple.  
“You know, I have nightmares a lot,” Malon said, rupturing the silence, Shadow’s eyes shot over to her and she continued, “It’s difficult, being the wife of a hero. He’ll leave for months on end, leaving me to just sit and wait for his hopefully safe return.” Shadow’s eyes widen as he saw a single tear roll down Malon’s cheek. “One time, he disappeared. Was captured by the enemy-,” she sniffled and wiped away the tear, “-the royal army didn’t tell me for months. Before he left he told me it was going to be a ‘quick battle’ and he’d be home soon. He didn’t come home for just over a year.”  
Shadow looked at the woman sincerely before lifting up his left hand and making the letters.  
S  
O  
R  
R  
Y  
Malon smiled, wiping her eyes once again, “Thank you sweetheart. Thank you so much.”  
Shadow could tell she was sincere. Looking at the spot beside her, Shadow scooted a bit closer. Malon noticed him scoot over and lifted up the blanket she was sitting under, “Come on over sweetheart, it’s a lot warmer.” Shadow’s brain screamed no, but his heart screamed yes. Taking a leap, or rather scoot, of faith, Shadow moved to be right beside Malon. The woman repositioned the blanket over both of them and Shadow loved it. It was so warm and safe. Malon was safe.  
Shadow let his eyes drift closed once more and this time, he had no nightmares.


End file.
